Google unveiled Android 4.3 and the new Nexus 7 at their Android event last week, but that’s not all they had in store. Google also announced Chromecast, a $35 HDMI dongle that lets you stream YouTube, Netflix and other services onto your HDTV. Let’s take a closer look at how the Chromecast works, what you can do with it and when it’ll be available here in the UK.
How it works
To its credit, Chromecast is incredibly simple to set up. Just plug the HDMI end into your TV, then plug in its power supply either via a USB port or an AC adapter. Then, you use the setup program (available on Android, Windows and Mac) to choose your wireless network and type in your password. Once the Chromecast is happily connected, it’s just a case of choosing a name and installing the Google Cast extension in Chrome.
Now you’re ready to watch something – just fire up Netflix, YouTube or Google Play Movies & TV, then hit the Cast button. The video you’re requested will come up on your TV, and then you can use your device as a remote. This works across platforms too – Netflix apps on all platforms will recognise you’re playing on the Chromecast, and expose the video controls for you there.
What you can do with it
So you can watch YouTube, Google Play media and Netflix videos. Anything else?
Well, it turns out that you can also stream any Chrome tab as well. That means internet radio like Pandora or Last.FM, video sites like The Verge or Twitch.TV, and all manner of other services. You can also just stream anything that Chrome can play by itself – including MP3s, video files of various kinds and even flash games.
While there’s noticeable lag and some artifacting from time to time, all this really means is that normal web surfing isn’t ideal – anything like playing movies or music works just fine. One exception is anything that relies on QuickTime – this doesn’t play well with Chrome, so you’ll have to ditch Apple’s trailers site for YouTube.
Google has published a Chromecast SDK, so media services can support the platform fairly easily. Google have already announced Pandora will be coming to the service, and more big names seem sure to follow.
When it’ll be available
In the US, Chromecast was announced for $35 and quickly sold out, no doubt thanks to the three free months of Netflix thrown in with the dongle. Google haven’t announced a launch date or pricing for other territories, including the UK, just yet. However, Google almost always launch their services in the UK fairly soon after the US, so hopefully we won’t have too long to wait.
We’ve got our Chromecast preorder page up right now, so check it out for the latest pricing and availability information!